Introduction
“Makes Me Wanna Holler” was written by Nathan McCall, a once troubled youth
that was able to come out of the darkness and change his life for the better. Throughout
the book, McCall explains what growing up during Jim Crow Laws was like in
Portsmouth, Virginia and how your peers can affect your decisions and life. Once in
prison, McCall realized there was a need for change in his life. Therefore, he devoted his
life to becoming a journalist and spreading his life-changing story. The purpose of this
paper is to elaborate on certain criminology theories and how they apply to the story told
by Nathan McCall.
Theory That Explains McCall’s Criminality
In Criminology, Social Control Theory is the belief that we learn criminal
behavior in the same way we learn any other behavior by watching and picking up on the
behaviors based upon the environment and surroundings. Social learning is a cognitive
process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or
direct instruction; even in the absence of motor reproduction or direct reinforcement. This
theory applies to McCall because he lost his motivation for school due to his selection of
new friends. When his scenery changed, so did his criminal activity. Nathan McCall grew
up in a middle class neighborhood in Virginia. Unlike most stereotypical criminals,
McCall had a very supportive family that was very involved within his life as well as the
teachings of Jesus Christ. What came to a surprise is the fact that Nathan had such an
involved family within his life. His parents wanted nothing but for himself and his four
bothers to live better lives than they ever wished possible.